Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Why all the talk on immigration?

If you've been anywhere near a TV in the last few weeks, you know that immigration reform is all the talk in Washington. Whether you're a conservative, liberal, or have middle of the road views, the LMC has resources to explain both sides of the issue.
To me, it is much more interesting to put a personal spin on immigration. The books listed below are memoirs about real people and the real challenges they faced as they tried to make a different life for themselves!

Enrique's Journey: The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite with his Mother. When Enrique was only 7 years old his mother left their home in Honduras to come to the United States. She only hoped for a better future for her family. The family separation was too difficult for Enrique. At 16 he made the 12,000 mile journey to find mom. Read about his perilous journey as he tries to enter the United States as an undocumented immigrant.

In American Gypsy by Oksana Marafioti, you meet the author from the Soviet Union. In 1994 when she was 15 she moved to the United States with her family. Her memoir is a funny look at American life. All Oksana and her sister know about life here they learned from MTV ....and that doesn't really prepare them to immigrate:)

Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain is a newer nonfiction book about the lives and treatment of Asians at Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco. During the time of the California Gold Rush San Francisco was known as "Gold Mountain" because it was seen as a place of prosperity and freedom. The author, Russell Freedman describes the people who came, the screening process they went through, and how they often were detained and deported. It's an interesting read with lots of pictures.

The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande is an adult book for young adults. Reyna came to the United States from Mexico when she was 9 years old. She was surrounded by much family turmoil in her childhood and teenage years. Despite it all she was the first person in her family to graduate from college.